The Signature Level at Grand Palladium Sicilia Resort & Spa

"Staff were friendly and helpful, everywhere was clean and well presented although dated in areas. Would definitely recommend the Tai restaurant the service and food were superb. Portofino also very good, the Scania restaurant had loads of buffet food, although very limited main courses if you’re vegetarian. Loads of sun loungers at all pools, beach mix of sand and pebbles, drinks at bars were great, yes you have to pay for the expensive brands but we were more than happy with the free selections. Our room was quiet, didn’t hear any neighbours, great shower, comfy bed. The All inclusive option is an excellent 4* experience if you want true 5* then I would say pay for the signature level."

"The hotel itself is vast, with immaculate grounds that are exceptionally well maintained. We stayed in one of the Deluxe Bungalows, which was lovely, clean, and comfortable. These are not standalone bungalows, but rather buildings containing approximately five or six individual accommodations. Each room has its own entrance and a small seating area, although some of these can be overlooked depending on their location. One downside was that the walls were quite thin. The shower was spacious, and the bed was enormous and very comfortable. There were tea and coffee-making facilities in the room, although the kettle had to be placed on the floor to boil due to the location of the power socket. There was a large table and chair in the room, and it would have made much more sense to have a plug socket and mirror in this area for preparing drinks and getting ready in the evenings. The housekeeping staff were excellent, cleaning the room to a very high standard every day and ensuring that all amenities were replenished when required. It was my partner's birthday during our stay, and when we returned to the room one evening, we found a bottle of Prosecco in an ice bucket alongside a birthday cake. I'm not sure whether this was hotel policy or whether the staff had noticed the birthday cards in the room, but either way it was a thoughtful gesture and very much appreciated. Thank you. The main buffet restaurant could become particularly busy at breakfast. Like many other reviewers, I would have expected a five-star hotel to offer table service for tea and coffee, with pots brought directly to guests. Instead, there were four coffee machines that also dispensed hot water for tea, and I honestly can't recall a time when all four were working simultaneously. Had we visited during the school holidays, I imagine this area could have become quite chaotic. The food was very good, with plenty of choice available at every meal. However, the serving stations were quite spread out, and most dishes were warm rather than hot. The salad bar was exceptional. I would recommend taking a walk around the restaurant first to see everything on offer before deciding what to choose. It's also worth collecting your cold items first before returning for the hot food. We visited the Chang Thai restaurant, which was fairly quiet when we arrived at 8:15pm but became much busier as larger groups arrived. Service was a little slow, although this was not the fault of the staff member serving us, who simply had too many tables to manage. I'm not sure whether restaurant staffing levels have been reduced now that we're outside peak season, but it may be something the hotel could review. The food itself was excellent. On our final evening, we dined at El Dorado. Before arriving, I had intended to order a particular steak, but unfortunately it wasn't available. I was then directed over to the chilled display to view the other cuts of meat on offer and felt slightly pressured into selecting a specific steak. Personally, I would have preferred simply choosing from the menu without the sales approach. That said, the steak I eventually chose was delicious. The Sports Bar provided a welcome alternative to the main Sicilia Restaurant and offered a varied menu, including burgers, kebabs, nachos and more. It is open from 3:30pm until 2:00am, which was particularly useful on our first night as we didn't arrive until 11:45pm. The pianist in the main bar was fantastic and performed every evening during our stay. It created a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere and was always enjoyable to sit and listen, whatever time of day. The entertainment in the outdoor amphitheatre was also very good. With such a diverse mix of guests, including British, Irish, American, French, Italian, German and many other nationalities, it can't be easy to provide something for everyone. However, I think the entertainment team managed this very well. I particularly enjoyed the Sicilia-themed musical evening, and the magician was excellent, especially when interacting with the children. As expected, the hotel was quieter at this time of year, which suited us perfectly. We only visited the evening disco a couple of times, but both occasions were enjoyable. The DJ played a good variety of music that catered well for different ages and tastes. The pools were very clean and there were always plenty of sunbeds available throughout our stay. The beach was probably my favourite part of the resort. There were ample sunbeds available, and the beach bar was only a short walk away. It is a pebble beach, so water shoes are highly recommended. The sea was quite rough on a couple of days during our stay, but for the most part it was calm and pleasant. We stayed on an all-inclusive basis and chose not to upgrade to the Signature Level. To the hotel's credit, we were never subjected to a hard sell to upgrade. The main benefits of Signature Level appear to be a fully stocked minibar that is replenished and included in the package, dressing gowns, premium blue-and-white beach towels, and a beach bag. Standard all-inclusive rooms also have a minibar containing two beers, four Cokes, two Sprites and two Fantas. Once these are consumed, the minibar is restocked, but any further drinks are chargeable. Signature guests also have access to an additional swimming pool, can enjoy breakfast in one of the à la carte restaurants rather than the main buffet, and receive access to a wider selection of cocktails and branded drinks. Some cocktails, such as Mojitos, were included in the standard all-inclusive package, but the choice was more limited. For the two of us, upgrading to Signature Level for a week would have cost £221 per person, which I personally didn't feel represented good value. I'm not particularly keen on five-star hotels creating different classes of guest experience, although this does seem to be an increasingly common trend. Overall, is this a five-star hotel? In many respects, such as the grounds, accommodation and main bar areas, absolutely yes. My main criticisms relate to the food temperature and the hot drink arrangements in the buffet restaurant. I don't think I would be tempted to visit during the school holiday season, as the hotel felt perfectly balanced in terms of occupancy during our stay. What really stood out, however, were the staff. Every member of the team we encountered was friendly, hardworking and welcoming. They work incredibly long hours and always seemed to do so with a smile. They are undoubtedly one of the hotel's greatest assets."

"This is an all inclusive resort about 20 minutes from Cepalu. We stayed here for one night as a tranfer hotel from Syracusa to Castellmare del Golfo. The rooms are really nice and they offer free drinks and free food. We ate at the American Sports Bar and it was nice atmosphere with average food. Everyone was really nice. We were driving around Sicily and this was a non Sicilian experience and more a big resort feel. Its was pretty crowded for October. If you want to visit Cepalu its a good place to stay.The rooms are very nice."